Oscillating water sprinklers are well known and their use constitutes a popular method of watering a lawn or garden. Typically, an oscillating water sprinkler includes a base formed by two generally straight and opposing parallel members that join two generally curved opposing end portions. A perforated spray tube, which receives and projects water, is coupled to and supported by the base. Water may be supplied to the perforated tube by a hose so that the force of the water causes the tube to oscillate and project water in a spray pattern that covers a generally rectangular region around the sprinkler base.
The area that receives the water projected by the sprinkler may be referred to as the sprinkler coverage area. In general, the oscillating sprinkler is positioned horizontally so that both parallel members of the sprinkler base are in contact with the ground. The locus of the sprinkler typically defines the midpoint of the sprinkler coverage area generated when the tube is free to oscillate to its fullest extent. In an alternative mode of sprinkler operation, the perforated tube may be locked in a position that limits the oscillation of the tube so that the spray pattern is directed to a smaller area, for example, only one side of the sprinkler.
The ability of an oscillating sprinkler to adequately deliver water to a desired area is dependent on the volume of water delivered to the sprinkler, the height of vegetation proximate to the sprinkler, and the position and orientation of the sprinkler spray tube relative to the intended watering area. Tall shrubbery, vegetation, or other obstructions in the vicinity of the sprinkler may diminish the sprinkler's efficacy by blocking a portion of the water streams projected from the sprinkler, thereby preventing some areas from receiving an adequate amount of water during the watering session.
Furthermore, because water is delivered to the sprinkler by a hose, which acts as a tether to a water source, the positioning of the sprinkler, and thus the reach of its projected spray, is constrained by water supply location and hose length. In addition, there are some situations in which a sidewalk, patio, driveway, or other surface which does not need to be watered intervenes between the sprinkler and the intended targeted area. In such circumstances it is desirable to project water beyond the intervening area, while at the same time avoiding the waste of resources that results when water is directed to such surfaces. At times it may be desirable to water only a relatively narrow area, such as a narrow lawn area that has been seeded, aerated, fertilized or otherwise cultivated. In those cases, the delivery of water to undesignated areas during the irrigation process wastes resources, increases the time required to adequately water the designated area due to the volume of water diverted, and results in increased monetary costs.
To avoid blockage by vegetation and thereby increase the distance over which the water may be projected from a particular sprinkler location, the oscillating sprinkler may be elevated a vertical distance above the ground. When the sprinkler is elevated, water projected from the sprinkler is more likely to travel over nearby vegetation rather than being obstructed by it. In some watering applications, however, it is desired to not only avoid structural or vegetative obstructions, but also to alter the spray pattern and shape of the corresponding sprinkler coverage area.
For a relatively narrow area extending at a distance from the sprinkler, sprinkler elevation alone is insufficient for producing a sprinkler coverage area that more nearly correlates with the size and shape of the targeted lawn area. By elevating the sprinkler and holding it in a generally vertical position in which the sprinkler spray tube is oriented either perpendicular or at some relative angle to the ground rather than horizontally in parallel with the ground, the spray pattern may be altered to concentrate on the desired swath. The spray coverage may also be modified by locking the oscillating tube in a position which best directs the water to a desired area.
Previous attempts have been made to address the need for an elevated oscillating tube sprinkler by teaching sprinkler stands, wherein a sprinkler is maintained in an elevated position. Although adequate for their intended purposes, none has taught a sprinkler stand that engages and maintains an oscillating sprinkler in a stable vertical orientation in order to produce a beneficial spray pattern and associated sprinkler coverage area for a narrow designated lawn area.
One type of device holds a garden hose whereby water can be directed in a desired direction via a vertical rod to which a hook for supporting an annular sprinkler head or other type of sprinkler heads or nozzles is coupled. Although it may be possible to hang an oscillating sprinkler on such a hook, the device is not adapted for nor well-suited for securely maintaining the twin base members of a typical oscillating sprinkler in a desired orientation. When used with an oscillating sprinkler, such a stand would most likely cause the sprinkler to shake, move, or dislodge in response to the force of the water projected therefrom. Further, such a device, if used in conjunction with an oscillating sprinkler, would lack disadvantageously angular and rotational adjustability of the sprinkler orientation in order to achieve a desired spray pattern.
Another type of stand is a pedestal for supporting an oscillating sprinkler at an elevated height above the ground, wherein the pedestal firmly engages the sprinkler base so as to securely hold the sprinkler in a particular position. However, such stands disadvantageously limit the sprinkler to a horizontal orientation. Thus, although the elevation of the sprinkler, alone, may prove beneficial, such a pedestal does not provide a means for adjusting the height of the sprinkler; nor is adapted for rotative or angular adjustment of the sprinkler orientation in order to achieve a customized spray pattern for a particular irrigation application.
Other types of devices have been described for use with an oscillating sprinkler to produce an optimal spray pattern, specifically pertaining to the size, shape, and arrangement of the nozzles of the spray tube. Nozzle arrangements have been suggested in order to alter the spray pattern of a typical oscillating sprinkler to address the problem of sprayer-induced puddling, wherein an undesirable concentration of water is applied at certain points of the oscillating cycle of the spray tube. While adequate for its intended purpose, such an adaptation to a standard oscillating sprinkler does not provide a means by which the spray pattern and sprinkler coverage area of the sprinkler may be uniquely tailored to conform to a particular application; particularly when is required to irrigate a specific region while avoiding watering undesignated areas.
Therefore, none of known devices overcome the limitations previously identified with oscillating sprinklers positioned horizontally on the ground. Thus, there is a need for a sprinkler stand adapted to securely engage an oscillating tube sprinkler and maintain the sprinkler in a stable, elevated and generally vertical orientation. There is a further need for a sprinkler stand for use with an oscillating sprinkler in which the sprinkler elevation and orientation may be adjusted so as to generate an optimum spray pattern and sprinkler coverage area for an intended application. In particular, there is a need for a sprinkler stand which secures a sprinkler at an orientation selected by the user to irrigate a relatively narrow designated area in a manner that increases the volume of water delivered to the designated area while decreasing the amount of water outside the designated, so that natural resources may be conserved, monetary costs may be reduced, and the time necessary to complete the watering operation may be shortened.